title: A Mr 43,000 epidermal growth factor-related protein purified from the urine of breast cancer patients.
abstract: A tumor-associated epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like activity was detected in the urine of breast cancer patients by means of an EGF radioreceptor assay and an anchorage-independent growth assay. The clonogenic growth factor activity of pooled void volume eluate fractions from a Bio-Gel P-30 column was completely neutralized by an anti-human epidermal growth factor antiserum but not by an anti-transforming growth factor alpha antiserum. This activity was determined in the urine of 71 breast cancer patients. A statistically significant correlation was found between EGF-like clonogenic activity and axillary lymph node status, tumor size, stage of disease, and grade of differentiation of the primary tumor. The Bio-Gel P-30 void volume fraction was used to purify the EGF-related polypeptide to apparent homogeneity by subsequent binding to and elution from A431 cells followed by isoelectric focusing. A polypeptide of a pI of approximately 3.4 was identified to be related to EGF by neutralization and immunoprecipitation experiments with anti-human epidermal growth factor antisera. This polypeptide migrated as a single band of Mr 43,000 in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
authors.affiliation: Central Institute of Molecular Biology, Academy of Sciences, German Democratic Republic, Berlin-Buch.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eckert
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Granetzny
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nexø
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grosse
mesh_terms: D001681:Biological Assay; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000652:urine*; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000276:immunology; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D007526:Isoelectric Point; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011233:Precipitin Tests
chemical_list: D006133:Growth Substances; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor